Monday comebacks, with the exception of GOT7's, prove tricky acts to support. The influx of emails, paired with abrupt realization of imminent meetings, tend to prevail over 8 AM live showcases. My roster of Not By The Moon promotions remain unresolved, while indulgence in ASTRO's Knock activities are slowly but surely underway.
Prior to the release of third instalment in The Book of Us, DAY6 announced a hiatus from promotions due to health and anxiety issues. The situation was unforeseen, especially given that the news had circulated within 24 hours of the drop of "The Demon".
Five days of on-and-off screenwork later, I finally had the opportunity to familiarize myself with Zombie.
Prior to the release of third instalment in The Book of Us, DAY6 announced a hiatus from promotions due to health and anxiety issues. The situation was unforeseen, especially given that the news had circulated within 24 hours of the drop of "The Demon".
Five days of on-and-off screenwork later, I finally had the opportunity to familiarize myself with Zombie.
It was dark.
Dark red makeup with bluish undertones to replicate bruised flesh.
Dark and tiny was the ̶s̶e̶t̶ room, seemingly teeming with torturous tension.
Dark was the aura emitted from the hallucination-like post-production effects.
But darkest of all were the lyrics to the song - radiating one's deepest, dreariest deliberations towards living, or the mere thought of not.
Zombie depicted emptiness in the eeriest way thinkable, as if the world no longer held happiness.
Dark red makeup with bluish undertones to replicate bruised flesh.
Dark and tiny was the ̶s̶e̶t̶ room, seemingly teeming with torturous tension.
Dark was the aura emitted from the hallucination-like post-production effects.
But darkest of all were the lyrics to the song - radiating one's deepest, dreariest deliberations towards living, or the mere thought of not.
Zombie depicted emptiness in the eeriest way thinkable, as if the world no longer held happiness.
"Though I want to just dream on. / 꿈꾸도 싶어도"
"Tomorrow will be no different. / 내일도 다를 것 없이"
"Give me back my tears, they’ve run dry. / 마른 내 눈물을 돌려줘"
"I live counting the time 'til I close my eyes. / 그저 잠에 들기만을 기다리며 살아"
"Tomorrow will be no different. / 내일도 다를 것 없이"
"Give me back my tears, they’ve run dry. / 마른 내 눈물을 돌려줘"
"I live counting the time 'til I close my eyes. / 그저 잠에 들기만을 기다리며 살아"
The lines above strike me dearly. Written by both Young K and Wonpil, the track features a modern-sounding chorus entailing relatable English verses blended with distinctly Korean vocabulary ("꿈", "텅 빈", "허수 아비"). Their influences are evident, which, in turn, instigated great concern: "Whose thoughts were/are these?".
Simple as it was, the music video was indicative of the message at hand, guiding the viewer through dismal emotions with impactful illustrations. It wasn't the title track my heart had been anticipating; Zombie is a song I can neither belt out with glee at the next karaoke session (whenever that will be) nor digest in the absence of contrition, because beyond the desaturated prospect lies a dire desire to reach out, praying that it's not too late.
Seven other songs constitute the collection, with Zombie's English version assuming the final spot on the tracklist. It features a message identical, yet a delivery more direct. English is a wordy language, meaning that less is conveyed despite the same syllable and word count. Discernible is my preference between the two: while English is the language I ought to identify with to a greater degree, the original version causes my heart to ache a bit more.
To me, the mini-album is a compilation adopting much of DAY6's typical style with noticeable upgrades. The sounds are neater, in a way, and more thoughtful as a whole. Standout songs include Tick Tock - the bass, in particular - and the fan favourite of Love me or Leave me, whose melody conjures up the image of an exhilarating concert stage (another TBD instance). Day and Night is an interesting opener that, oddly enough, prompts me to contemplate how a remix arrangement by BamBam (and maybe Jinyoung) would play out.
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